2Department of Mechanical Engineering, Konya Technical University Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Konya, Türkiye
3Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bingöl University Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Bingöl, Türkiye
Abstract
Composite materials can be subjected to low-velocity impact (LVI) loadings at various velocities in their application areas, as well as corrosive environments, causing degradation in the mechanical and dynamic properties. When the literature is reviewed, LVI loadings, aging time, fiber material, and hybridization effects on vibration characteristics have all been examined separately, but no research has looked at these aspects together. Therefore, in the current study, Carbon Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (GFRP) and Carbon/Glass Fiber-Reinforced Polymer (Hybrid) composites were manufactured utilizing the Vacuum-Assisted Hand-Layup Method (VAHLM) and then exposed to corrosive environments and Low-Velocity Impact (LVI) loadings, respectively. In this context, the fabricated composites were immersed in a 10% diluted HCl solution for 1 week and 1 month and then exposed to LVI loadings at 2 and 3 m/s impact velocities. After that, vibration tests were conducted, and thus the impacts of corrosive environments and LVI loadings, as well as fiber materials and hybridization, on the modal characteristics were examined experimentally as a novelty for the current study. The study's findings showed that the natural frequencies of CFRP and GFRP composites are 159.5 and 91.5, respectively, and that CFRP composites have approximately 75% higher natural frequencies than GFRP ones due to the high stiffness of carbon fibers. On the other hand, it was determined that hybrid composites had higher damping ratios than the others, which was ascribed to elevated energy absorption caused by the various interface characteristics of carbon/glass fibers. It was also discovered that no significant changes appeared in the dynamic responses following the corrosive environment exposure and LVI loadings, which was attributed to the composites' substantial impact and corrosion resistance.


